Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Yoji Urano

Hirokazu Yoshioka

Kentaro Kobayashi

Kazuo Kamada

A sintered body of a material for thermoelectric element having excellent thermoelectric performance and mechanical strength can be produced by the following method. A block of the material for thermoelectric element is provided. The block has an electric-current passing direction, in which electricity is supplied to obtain a desired thermoelectric performance of the thermoelectric element. The block is encased in an elongate capsule such that the electric-current passing direction of the block is substantially agreement with an axial direction of the capsule. After degassing the capsule, a forming operation for reducing a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the capsule is performed to obtain a formed capsule having a green compact of the block crushed by the forming operation therein. A heat treatment is then performed to sinter the green compact in the formed capsule. Finally, the resultant sintered body is removed from the formed capsule. This method is preferably used to manufacture a thermoelectric module that is a temperature control device using the Peltier effect.

Method of producing sintered body of material for thermoelectric element

A thermoelectric chip with exposed surfaces of N-type and P-type semiconductor elements on its top and bottom surfaces is prepared by arranging the semiconductor elements in a matrix manner such that each of the N-type semiconductor elements is disposed adjacent to the P-type semiconductor element through a space, and filling the space with a first resin material having electrical insulation. A metal layer is formed on each of the exposed surfaces of the semiconductor elements. Then, first electrodes are formed on the top surface according to a first circuit pattern. Similarly, second electrodes are formed on the bottom surface according to a second circuit pattern different from the first circuit pattern. An electrical insulation sheet of a second resin material containing a ceramic powder with high thermal conductivity is bonded to the top and bottom surfaces to obtain the thermoelectric module.

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Ikeda, Japan

Yoji Urano